Not the Dad I'd Like to Be
by DNAisUnique
Summary: “He’ll always be your son, but I can’t be your wife.” Pre-Bones, but with a slight reference to 'The Hero in the Hold.'


**The first idea spark for this one has been rolling around in my head for quite some time. This is pre-**_**Bones**_**, ****but does contain slight spoilers for 'The Hero in the Hold.' It's also not my usual style, aka not Booth/Brennan and angst, but please give it a chance. Enjoy!**

**VVVVV**

Seeley Booth entered the hospital and headed straight for the elevator. Once on the elevator, he pressed the button for the Labor and Delivery floor and anxiously paced the small space as he wondered why it felt like the slowest elevator ride of his life.

Finally, the doors opened, and he hurried off, only to be met by multiple sets of double-doors—all locked.

_What the hell was this—a hospital or a top-security federal prison?_

He quickly walked to the closest set of doors and pressed the intercom button off to the side of one of the doors.

"Can I help you?" a woman responded.

"Yeah, Seeley Booth. I'm here to see Rebecca Stinson."

"One moment."

Booth waited impatiently then heard a 'buzz' as the automatic doors opened. He hurried between the doors and a nurse directed him to his desired room—which was more like a curtain-partitioned area.

"Seeley…"

"Hey," Booth said with a small grin as he approached his girlfriend. He kissed her on the forehead and stepped back. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I just had a baby."

Booth sighed. "Why didn't you call me, Becky?"

"You know I hate it when you call me that," she replied, avoiding the question.

They heard a small cry from nearby, and Booth momentarily forgot his anger. He made his way around to the other side of the bed and gazed at the tiny baby inside the bassinet. He grinned and his eyes clouded with happy tears as he continued to look at his son. His son.

"You can hold him, Seeley," Rebecca told him. "But wash your hands first."

"Uh, okay," Booth said as he tore his eyes away from the baby and looked for a sink. He finally spotted one and went to wash his hands.

Hands properly washed and dried, Booth walked back to the bassinet.

"What's the matter, big guy?" he said quietly as he reached to pick up the baby.

"Make sure you support his head," Rebecca said.

"I know…" Booth replied, never taking his eyes off his son. He softly stroked the baby's head, and the whimpering stopped. "Looks like I'm a natural, huh, Becky?"

"Seeley, please…"

"Sorry."

Rebecca sighed. "Seeley, we need to talk."

"You're right. We do," Booth said quickly, trying to push the 'nothing-good-comes-out-of-conversations-that-start-with-that' thought out of his head. "Marry me."

"What? No. We've already talked about this. I'm not going to marry you."

"Why not?" Booth asked, finally looking at her.

"Are you in love with me?"

"I love you. You know I do."

"But you're not in love with me."

Booth looked away.

"Can you honestly tell me that you'd want to marry me if I hadn't gotten pregnant?"

"Becky…"

"Don't call me 'Becky,'" she said firmly.

"Look, _Rebecca_, I know you're tired. Let's talk about this later."

"I'm not going to change my mind." She paused and gathered her thoughts. "He'll always be your son, but I can't be your wife."

A wry laugh escaped Booth's lips as he looked at her. "One day he's gonna ask why his last name is different from yours."

"It's not going to be different," Rebecca sighed.

"But you said you wouldn't marry me."

"I'm not. He'll have my last name."

"Come on, that's not fair," Booth pleaded. "Don't all kids have their father's last name?"

"No, not all. Especially in this day and time."

"I guess that's why you didn't call me until after he was born," Booth muttered as he looked away again.

"He'll always know you're his dad, Seeley. I promise."

"Not the dad I'd like to be," Booth said as he looked down at the sleeping infant in his arms. "Have you picked out a name for him?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, since you won't let him take my last name, can I at least give him a first one?"

"What did you have in mind?"

Booth sighed as he remembered a tragic event from not long ago, a fallen comrade he'd been unable to save. "Parker. His name is Parker."

**VVVVV**

**Thanks for reading! I don't usually beg for reviews, but since this is a little out of my writing comfort zone, please tell me what you thought.**

**I know that Parker's last name in the credits is listed as 'Booth,' but there are many children whose parents aren't married, and the children have the mother's last name. This is just my take on things.**


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